Dry-pipe-valve accelerator



Dec. 7 1926.

A. C. ROWLEY I DRY PIPE VALVE ACCELERATOR Filed March 1, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. C. ROWLEY DRY PIPE VALVE- ACCELERATOR Filed March 1. 1921 ll .lllllnll Dec. 7,1926

Dec. 7 1926. 1,610,160

A. C. ROWLEY 4 DRY PIPE VALVE ACCELERATOR Filed March 1, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 7, 1926. I

ARTHURQ: ROWLELY; QFjm ADE THIA, PENFSYLVIANiKQ 'AS S IGNbR TO GLOBE AUTO 'JMQTIG SPRINKLERCOMPANE OI" PHILADELPHIA, PENNS VANIA, A CORPORA Tremor-PENNSYLVANIA.'

" :DIQYQIPENALVE ACCELERATOR? Q 'A-ppiiciatien'filed marc h 192i, eelm nt. 4481880; v

f Theipieeilt (ihylentioii relates an eppa ratiiS ibrlh asteningthe delivery, of ater to an autbrfietidfire extingiiishing system after theopening of one or I ore pf 'the sprinkler? heads thereof, and, one obfect of this inv e htiq iLi s tg') p=rc$ vide a'n' app'zirati is, wh chi s zfll rdu'c to amin mum he im elaps ingjzh'etiyeeh lthe rdu'etio of air pres- -s are ir'ijlthfisystemf 'resultir' g fiiei the penin}; Eofjar spi'ihklef heed; mid the t me when the "dry. fpipe alve operates to perm t, flqw of Watef undeflgpresstifefintelsaid systemp A fhitheil Qb-j t the ,vinYB Iit iQ n isl't e prQ id n. apne -me l harac r whteh will be responsive to a very slight reduetlqn.

w'hiehiis eonstrheted in a; v ry sii'riplemanner it so that the sixfiieis pet likelyte begomejfli p"pety p e 119W; in use, with mini liiuni Of exis te {prb'yi de {2t apperetjls "pf this-ehaieteifl which lwill opemt'e ima yepy c'e'rte as tzvt'al l rapidmitiiner, the parts of which, m'ztyj be, 1

readily fjefti lfid t6 "normal p bsitioh when desired; it

: thef'sa rie b ngep ifi t li f f pi a al ek assembly of a SQ finkIerySYS Refel i'ingftof the draw indicates the a easingi of; a." dl y pipe give assembly "eoinmpnly "used in automatic I sprin ler systems. The fqesi g; l is divided 7 int twb. eheinhersiend 3, the fermei being j the pressure ehziiiibei' en dlcqmriiiiiiieating at 1 its upper erid vgith theeqnduit gt hichl'eads Ate the sprinklei-i heads-located in ya riohsf p parts fthebufldingep otherv structure,

The lceriduit tland the chamber Qfare 116 many, filled airilli f rfpressure, Cape of this air being prevented-1 hen the .22 valves at the sprinkler heads are in theiif nerh'iel',elesed pe'sition. 11A partition 1? Septmime rates thehhmi ibefQfrom the chamber 3 end the latterfiskhdwn' as ehintetniediate ,chember jai 'd' coiitziins air und'e 1 ;et nesphefie prles's'ulf'. ,The ehemberB cemmunicates at its: lower end 'w'ith the edxiduit 5 which leads to (the jg fi ie' extingfilishihg fluidfsiipplyg and c muificatien between"thecoridiiit 5 and the "ch amber 3 is ne'sm'a'll'y fclosed' by meens of theyalve fi held' magpi'tame seat; Coin ai'i" ,uh'de1 ressure. 'ihsaidfcheihhep 2 Will act'TtO. 'ei'nially' close ,thewalv 7 tightly mitted' telthel valife ,6; and} the v i-lye" 6 Cannot p n 'nti he velvet to'ep n; r

is likewise permitted 1 f y; l il hi eh t ee jf e i edg-i th ei jd' r iies'sui'ein the "ehainber f2 acting-against the through Ithe 'arin" 18., Will also held the velje 515 therefe'r e'jpfeventedj froiri 1 entering the h mb nd l e br nk r tem lo g 1 as the alve 6;;is held f to its seat by the air H 7, f pressilre'gn thevalve 7,11.Upenpthe 'eleasef ,F-ig. 12 is. awei'tieel seetieh-efthe present v of thepres shre'inthe chamber Q'hy reason of the system, the pressure :l lpQIl; the valve 7 1 heeoihes lessened and when the pressure ngs,-the nu era1 1 H U 2 of' the op'er ihglbfe one ef theesprinklerheagdsnf afyertieal ,seetion on, 3 plane at withinlthe ehainhe r 2 reaches; the point when" it is insufficient: to: hold" saich valve closed f duit 5 ,;1-thfe velves fi Tend TZ. y'vil1 open"and" Water will flew frpn the; jepnduiti 5 into the ehamhersrg andfl and i itogthe pipes of the" system tdthe operiqsprinkle head. This is the Well knowno'peration ,of this type of valve asseiphlyfand it has J-been. found that i an appreciable lengthof time will elapse before the I pressu 'ein the chamber, 2fha s been suflieieritly reduced tejpermitthevalve 6 controlling the Watersuppiyto open. Since 7 time is of the utmost importance it has become necessary to devise some means for quickly releasing the pressure in the chamher 2 and allowing the water to enter the system on u i suitable pipe 9.

The present invention is constructed with a view to a quick release of pressure in the chamber 2' and a quick equalization between the pressure in the chambers 2 and 3 so that the valves 6 and 7 maybe opened in the shortest possible time. To that end I proividean' apparatus having certain of its parts in communication with the chambers 2 and 3, and this apparatus comprises an outer casing 10, this casing being internally divided into three compartments communication between the compartments being provided by suitable valve ClGVlCGS.

I The main compartment within the casing 10 is indicated by the numeral 11, and this compartment is in communication with the chamber 2 through a A second compartment 12 is disposed beneath the main compartment lland the compartment 12 is in communill cation with the chamber 3 through a suitable pipe 12. l the casing 10 is disposed 'at the upper'por- The third compartment within tion of the same and this latter'compartment 13' has no direct communication with any part of the valve assembly.

3 The chambers 11 and 13 are in communi-' cation by means to be hereinafter described so that air pressure in one compartment may proceed to the'second compartment in the operation of this apparatus. Disposed within the upper portion of the casing 10 is a bellows 14 carrying at its upper end a cover plate 15 having a nipple l6 projecting" therefrom, the nipple 16 being internally screw-threaded to receive the plug 17 carrymg as apart thereof a hexagonal nut' to fa 'cilitate rotation of the same. ,The plug'17 'is-internally screw-threaded to a portion of.

its depth and the unthreaded portion of said plug is adapted to receive a series of washers '18 adapted to compress between them a series of discs, in'the present instance'three,

the central disc 19 being solid with the exception of a small opening in its center. On either side of the disc'19 are the filter discs 20 which serve the purpose of preventing foreign matter from reaching and clogging the" opening in the disc 19. -The assembly of discs and washers is held in place by a second plug 21 which is adapted to be screw threaded into the threaded portion of the plug 17 until its lower ends engage the topmostwasher ancbthereby firmly hold the,

washers and discs in position. The plug 21 has a vent 21 through its upper surface to passage of air under condit ons permit the of operation. r

The bellows 14- extends from the top plate 15 to the partition plate 22 and is clamped to said plate by suitable bolts 23. The parlower end of the sleeve 80, and firmly clamps posed in the top plate 15 to permit communication between the interior of the bellows through the opening in the disc 19 to the compartment 13.

The partition 22'carries depending spaced arms 22, and a pin or rod 26 is mounted within and supported by openings in the arms 22. Pivotally mounted on the pin 26 is an arm 27 having opposite projections 27*, 27, the projection 27 being adjacent the lower extremity of the rod carried by the bellows. The projection 27 is disposed adjacent the top of a pivoted weight 28, the said weight being supported at its lower extremity upon suitable pins 29. supported by arms I Between the compartments 11 and 12 is a suitable opening 11? and disposed within this opening is a sleeve 30 having a flange 30 resting upon the top surface of the park tition 12 dividing the compartments 11 and A suitable'nut31 is'threaded' upon the the samein proper position within the opening 11*. The arms 80*, previously described, project from the sleeve 30' and support the pins 29 upon which the pivoted weight 28 is mounted. 'The opening in the sleeve30 is normally closed at its upper end by a suitable valve 32, and this valve is held in the closed position by the pressure of anarm;

33 'pivotally mounted upon a projection 30 of the sleeve 30, the said armi38 being held in engagement with the valve 32 by the:

weight 28 the lowerportion of which normally rests against the arm 33. Extending -through the sleeve 80- and bearing against the under surface 'of'the valve32 is provided a rod 34 having its upper surface rounded at 34* asfshown, the rounded end 3 1 contacting with the lower surface of the valve 32, said lowersurface of the valve be ing dished at its center, and the rounded end of the rod '34 being normally disposed against the dished face of the rod 32. The

lower end of the rod 34L is somewhat round-l ed at 34 and carries at said lower end a' pivoted link 35 supported byarms 36 pro jecting upwardly from the lower surface of the casing. The link 35 carries'at its other end a weighted valve 37,'which valve is adapted'to seat upon the upper surface of a vent plug 38 to close the same and thereby prevent communication between the compartment 12 and the atmosphere.

In theoperation of the present invention the chamber 2 being filled with air under.

pressure this air under pressure will pass through the pipe 9'into the compartment'lh v and from said compartment through the V openings 22 through the opening in the F ig."2, with its lowerendhearing against the pivoted arm 33 and thereby holding the;

disc 19 and through the vent 21 into the compartment 13. The bellows '14 will be in: the expanded position asshown in'Fig. 2,' and'therod 25 will be upwardly withdrawn is in the position as shownin said figure; The" Weight 28 will bein the position shown in valve 32 firmly against'its seat. The valve 7 32 being seated will bear against the upper I 'end ofthe rod 34 and the link 35 will have" been turned on its pivot to raise thevalve 37 away from thevent '38 so that theai-r pressure within the chamber 12,'by reason of the latters communication. withthe at mosphere through the vent 38, will be at} mospheric. Upon the reduction oftheain pressure ,within'the compartment Qdue to the opening of one of the sprinkler heads of the system the air pressure will beiminediately lessened in said. chamber 2 and in the compartment 11 of the casing 10.

, The air pressure inthe compartment 11 and inthe bellows-14 havingbeen lessened" \ll air pressure within the compartment 13 ,will immediately be in excessof that in the compartment 11, and this pressure in the compartment 13 acting upon the top plate 15 of the bellows will force the bellows to 7 contract, and the.plate 15 carrying the rod 25 will be moved downwardly. The rod 25 will contact with the projecting portion 27 of the pivoted arm 27 and will swing the said arm on its pivot, whereupon the pro- "ection 27 of said arm will en a e the weight 28, and upon continued movement shift said weight on its pivot toward the left as is evident from the showing in Figure 2, the weight dropping to the sh fted position very quickly upon the predominant mass of the same passlng the vertical center line of its pivot. Th weight being released from engagement with the arm 33 the valve 32 will be free to open dueto the weight carried by the link 35' and the valve 37 will become seated against and close the vent 38. The compartments 11' and 12 are thereupon brought into communication and the excess of air pressure in the compartment 11 will pass through the sleeve :30 into the compart.

ment 12 and thereafter through the pipe 12 into the chamber 3. There is now communh cation through the pipe;9,- compartments 11 and 12 and pipe 12 betwee'n the chambers 2' and and the pressurewlthin these two,

chambers willimmediately become equalized.

The water under pressure in the conduit 5 bearing againstthe valve 6 will now force said valve upwardly, 5111061116 air pressure upon the] top surface of the valve 7 has been "released, and water will pass from the con- ;and 2 and into duit 5 into the chambers 3 the conduit 4 to the open sprinklerhead. During the-passage ofwater through the;

s'prinkler f system" air will be continuously passing through the opening in the disc 19 7 from" the. chamber 13 into the chamber 11 this passage of air being necessarily at a very slow rate due to the smallsize-of the saidiopening. Upon'the gradual releaseof the'pressure within the compartment 13 the f'b ellow s 1 1 will'expand to normal" position Upon andflthe rod 25 will be withdrawn.

th ejstoppage of-the flow of water, Whenit isdesired'to reset the apparatuslfor further operation thejcover plate 40"(Fig. 3) is re- .moved permitting access to the interior of the compartment 11, and by suitably inserted means the weight 28 is tipped to the normal position shown in Fig. 2.} Upon the replacement of the cover plate 40 air under pressure may bein'troduced into the sprink-' .ler system and'into the chamber'2 whereupon it"will pass into the compartment'11 and through the opening in ,the'disc 19 into the compartment- 13 until the pressures in the vcompartments 11 and 13 are equalized. The

apparatusis now ready for subsequent use 111 the manner specified.

It will therefore be seen that I have devised an apparatusof this character which will quickly and readily operate tofp'erform the desired functionsyand which will be very positive in its action, allowing no possibility to prevent its operationv in .the required manner.

I claim:

. In an accelerator the combination of a casing divided into a plurality of compart-.- ments, one of said compartments being in communication with "-the'air chamber of a' dr i e valve and another of .saidycom- 

